Is it normal for a clutch-type LSD to clunk on engagement/disengagement?

[Sagaris]

When my car was automatic with an open diff I never experienced a clunk from the rear end. I 5spd swapped it, bought a reman. prop shaft and installed an s2.93 and had a clunk in the rear end during on/off acceleration. Its a clunk as if there was a golf ball inside the spare tire well in the trunk. I traded for an s3.25 and installed new subframe mounts, diff bushing, and RTABs. The clunk is still there, same kind of clunk. It doesn't happen if I accelerate very smoothly/slip the clutch excessively.



Thoughts?

[Wanganstyle]

a on/off throttle clunk trends to be U joints in the driveline; LSD engagement is more a of a thud noise when one drops the clutch to do a doughnut or similar action.

Normal parking lot turning at lower speeds/imput will not engage the stock lsd to lock up and cause understeer; if you want to find out what the lsd engagement sounds like on a turn try clutch kicking a U turn and drifting it :)

if you have very sloppy ring and pinion gap setting it could also cause a similar noise- if the original auto diff made no noise prior its doubtful the change to a 5 speed and deleting the torque convertor would make that big a difference to notice a new noise in the known good diff.

[jlevie]

A worn drive shaft or excessive clearance between the pinion and ring gear will cause this. The LSD clutches won't. Since you have had two different differentials in the car with the same result with new subframe & trailing arm bushings, the chances are good that you have a worn drive shaft.